The Panama Canal: Power, Politics, and Ambition

Historian Ralph Nurnberger argues why the Panama Canal can be seen as either a landmark achievement of American diplomacy or a symbol of U.S. arrogance and corruption. Closely tied to Theodore Roosevelt’s vision of global power, the canal became both a strategic success and a long-running controversy. Nurnberger traces its history, including the debate over transferring control to Panama, while examining why the United States built a canal in another country and why Panama was selected.